A/N: First of all, I would like to thank you just for reading these first few words. I love you. You're awesome. Even if you curl your lip in disgust and immediately leave this page, it's nice to know I at least semi-tricked you into being almost interested in this story. Either way, this story is a bit different from the usual format, and I apologize deeply for this. Facebook messages, text messages, and maybe a tweet or two and that's all you'll ever see besides regular text. Now, this may or may not be a plot heavy story, but the characters definitely have plots planned for them so don't worry. Each chapter focuses on different characters. Review if there are any mistakes or if I did well enough to deserve one! Okaythankyougoodbye.

Dean - Jo - Ash - Ellen

Dean Winchester

Apparently a dude just bought an apartment... hopefully he won't be as weird as the last person who came (with Gabriel)

|Gabriel: Aw come on, you know you love me

|Meg Masters: Well I certainly hope he makes himself at home... but it'd be a shame if he ended up in that empty apartment across from me ;)

|Charlie Bradbury: As cool as it is to have another dude here... I kinda wish it was a girl for once /-/

|Chuck Shirley: Hate to break it to you guys but this guy has weird written all over him

|Anna Milton: As long as he doesn't keep a collection of assorted bugs I'm fine with him

|Kevin Tran: That only happened once and he didn't even touch you, and spiders aren't actually bugs...

|Anna Milton: 'He' was crawling up my wall and I'd rather not be that close to a spider ever again

|Garth Fitzgerald IV: Either way, he'll be welcomed with open arms :)

|Chuck Shirley: Garth, please don't hug this person until after they move into the apartment

|Garth Fitzgerald IV: Alright, I guess I could wait a few days :)

It was a quiet night when Dean decided to slip down to the roadhouse a little later than usual. It was a routine by now, every night he wasn't working he went down to the roadhouse. Not only was it his routine, but it was Ash, Jo, and Ellen's routine too. Every couple of weeks even Bobby and his wife, Sheriff Jody Mills, would come down and chat for a while. Or at least that had been the routine before Dean had gone away for a while. But when he did come back, the routine came back in full motion. Mostly for a lack of alcohol in Dean's system.

Dean pushed open the door, surveying the scenery; Ellen behind the counter, Jo messing around with a radio that sat in front of her, and Ash at the pool table, slightly wobbly from what Dean could only guess what his third or fourth beer. Once Ellen and Jo registered his presence, Ellen gave a warm smile, and Jo lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of Dean.

"Hey Dean," Jo said, looking ecstatic at his presence. Dean gave a small smile, looking down at the ground as she slipped into the seat next to him. She gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and then turned the radio in front of her off, sliding it back to her mom.

"Can't get the thing to work. I don't know who designed it but they did a crappy job," Jo sighed, shrugging apologetically. Ellen nodded, observing the radio and then placing it back under her bar.

"I'm guessing you'd like a drink?" Ellen said, putting a beer in front of him before he could respond.

"Well yeah, I think I'd like a drink," Dean said teasingly after the beer bottle had been placed in front of him. Dean took a glance at the beer, then frowned slightly before he took a large gulp. Jo and Ellen exchanged a worried glance.

"How are you today?" Ellen asked, not wanting to prompt any unwelcome thoughts into Dean's mind. He shook his head, recognizing her cautiousness and indicating that he didn't want to talk about it in-depth.

"I'm fine," he said after a couple of seconds, licking his lips and looking down at the floor again. Ellen tapped Dean's shoulder comfortingly, indicating she was ready to talk if he was. Ellen had always catered to Dean's needs, but now that he had gotten back from that hell hole she couldn't help but put all her effort into his well-being.

Although Ellen had become a master at making Dean feel welcome and comfortable, it was Jo who had learned Dean's body language, his small indications and signs, and exactly what they meant. It was Jo who always knew what Dean wanted to hear.

"So I heard a new guy is moving in," Jo said, changing the subject for Dean's sake. Dean looked up, then back at his beer, nodding.

"Apparently so. Hopefully he won't be as weird as Chuck's making him out to be," Dean sighed and waved his beer bottle around for emphasis. Jo gave a smile and rolled her eyes.

"Please. That guy wouldn't know normal if it came up and introduced itself to him," she thought on this for a second, then continued, "and besides, how weird could he be?"

"You haven't seen what I've seen," Dean joked, letting out a soft sigh and a chuckle. The bar was on the brink of closing, meaning the only sound was the hum of voices from Dean, Ellen, and Jo, and the soft snores from Ash, who was now asleep on the pool table.

"Ash is out earlier than usual tonight," Ellen commented, placing the cloth over her shoulder as she walked over towards Ash to take his beer from him.

"Probably nothing to worry about," Dean said, taking a quick drink then setting it on the table in front.

"I think you've had enough as well. I'd rather have a conversation with you while you're sober," Ellen said as she took Dean's beer out of his hand. He sighed, rolling his eyes, then looking back towards Jo.

"What do you know already about this guy?" Jo asked, smiling mischievously as Dean.

"Nothing. Nada. Zilch. All I know is he's a dude and he, I quote, has "weird written all over him"," Dean raised his two fingers up to show the quote-unquote's, causing Ellen to scoff teasingly from behind the bar.

"I'm assuming those were Chuck's words? He barely ever leaves the front desk. He probably doesn't even know how regular people interact," Ellen laughed again, shaking her head. "That apartment building is the only way he even knows that other people exist." From the pool table, Ash rose unsteadily, rubbing his head and brushing his fingers through his hair. He looked down at his drink hazily, then back towards Ellen.

"What'd I miss?" Ash said, looking slightly more drunk than usual.

"Just discussing the newcomer. To the apartment," Jo said, walking towards Ash and giving him a once over. "You look awful."

"Don't be jealous," Ash said, his words slurring together slightly as he wobbled over towards the bar. He looked slowly towards Dean, then back at Ellen.

"How long's Dean been here?" Ash asked, his words barely understandable. Ellen sighed, smirking just slightly.

"About twenty minutes. You haven't missed that much," Ellen sighed as she turned around and began to clean the shelf behind her, sorting out the odds and ends and adjusting the bottles to her own standards. Ash laughed as he looked back towards Dean, then back at his hand as his face switched from drunken happiness to utter confusion.

"Where's my drink?" Ash asked after a couple of seconds of staring cryptically at his hand, as though the beer had just turned invisible or walked away.

"I think you've had enough to drink," she said in a sigh, patting him on the back as she pointed towards the back, "I think you should probably rest."

Ash looked prepared to argue, but after a silent contemplation, deemed the action unworthy of his time (or perhaps too much effort) as he walked as soberly as he could back to his room. Once he'd disappeared both Dean and Jo shared a quick laugh.

"That's Ash for you," Jo said, grinning stupidly. Dean grinned as well, a smile both Ellen and Jo enjoyed for each second it lasted. It wasn't that Dean didn't smile enough, but that when he wasn't smiling it was almost as if all light was drained right out of him, like a giant vacuum that left him looking numb.

"Can I have my beer back," Dean said after he'd finished laughing, a smile still apparent on his face.

"Not until you tell me how you're doing," Ellen said warningly, raising an eyebrow in confrontation. Dean sighed, his smile limping just enough to show his slight irritation on the subject. He eventually shrugged, looking back at Jo as he began to talk.

"It's mostly just Sam, you know? Other than that I'm fine," Dean said, lying through his teeth. Ellen and Jo did not need to exchange any glances to both agree what complete bullshit Dean had just said. They decided, however, not to dwell on it.

"Still worried about Sam? He seems much better to me," Jo said, tilting her head to the side and allowing her eyes to wander. Dean shook his head, laughing uneasily.

"No, it's not that. He's... fine. Mostly. But he just seems like he's still broken. But not in his body. In his... head I guess." Dean sighed at the ridiculous words coming out his mouth.

"Well I would expect. Hell of a trauma he went through Dean," Ellen said, nodding her head. Dean looked pained just thinking about it.

"I guess I'm not the only one anymore, huh?" he said softly, looking back at Ellen, then at Jo. They both knew what he was referencing.

"But in all seriousness... how are you?" Ellen said, continuing her prompt. She didn't like to constantly ask Dean about this subject but she knew that if she never confronted it neither would he.

"Ellen, I'm fine."

"Really?"

Dean was not so quick to shoot back a response. He lingered. He thought over his response in his head. Jo knew he was thinking as carefully as he could about what he was going to say back. As much as Jo hated to recognize it in Dean, he never liked to talk about himself. It was like any mention of himself was some sort of declaration of self pity. Eventually, he looked defeated, and responded as honestly as he could.

"I haven't been sleeping much. I might be a little more tense than usual- I don't know- but what's new?" he looked conflicted, and it was painful watching the emotions display across his face. It was especially painful for Jo, who had known Dean's every gesture and expression even before he'd left.

"You should see someone," Jo said eventually, then shaking her head as she realized what she said, "see someone professional. Like a therapist or something."

"What's a therapist going to do for me?" Dean asked, putting his hands out and crinkling his eyebrows together, a hint of objection in his voice.

"Dean, you have an actual condition, okay? PTSD doesn't just go away," Jo responded, and Dean rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

"For the last time Jo, it's not PTSD. It's..." he tried to think of a legitimate phrase but faltered. "It's just nothing."

Jo laughed at Dean's pathetic excuse for not seeing a therapist. "Really Dean? It's just nothing huh?" She laughed lightly as Dean smiled the tiniest bit and he pushed Jo just slightly.

"Shut up," Dean said, then after a second he got up from his chair. "I should probably head to the hospital now."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jo asked, "after all, you did have a little bit of alcohol..."

"I'm good, Jo. But thanks," Dean said, giving her a wink as he waved to Ellen, then headed out the door.

"Say hi to Sam for me, Dean," Ellen said, smiling as he walked out. He gave a thumbs up and closed the door behind him. After a couple seconds they could hear the impala begin to purr as it drove away and faded into the distance.

"That boy's going to cause some serious damage if he doesn't open up more often," Ellen finally said, sighing.

"Let's just be glad he opened up to us at all," Jo replied.

A/N Thank you again for reading, R&R if you liked it or have any comments!